New Delhi: A woman in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati city was forced to give birth outside a hospital after it refused her entry, allegedly because she was unaccompanied, according to reports.
A video showing the woman’s ordeal has been shared multiple times on social media. In the video, the woman is seen lying on the ground in a public place. People are seen covering her with a bed sheet. Her cries are also heard in the video.
The woman has been described as ‘destitute’ in reports.
The Tirupati Maternity Hospital, to which the woman had initially gone, is a 100-bed building, NDTV has reported. Staff allegedly refused to admit her as she was alone and unaccompanied. However, as news of the incident spread, hospital authorities said employees “did not know she was pregnant, according to The New Indian Express.
Among those who helped her deliver the child – all strangers – was a primary health centre worker.
TNIE has reported that Tirupati district collector K. Venkataramana Reddy has summoned a District Medical and Health Officer, Dr U. Sree Hari, to conduct an enquiry and submit a report on the matter.
The report also noted that the woman and her child were hospitalised immediately after she gave birth.
Down to Earth reported earlier this year that India’s maternal mortality ratio has improved to 103 in 2017-19, from 113 in 2016-18, according to the special bulletin released by the Registrar General of India March 14, 2022.
However, many still struggle to access care while giving birth. In many instances, institutional care, especially of financially disadvantaged women giving birth, is described as inadequate and inhumane.